Saturday, April 11, 2015 10:52:31 AM
Ahmad Hazbawi,son of Sabhan (aka Abu Motasar), 31-year-old ,poet, from Qalat Chanaan village, 12km southwest Ahwaz, was arrested on 8 April 2015 at his perfume shop in Kut Abdullah town near Ahwaz city. Informed sources and eyewitnesses confirmed seeing masked men in black uniforms, believed to be intelligence agents, arresting, beating and dragging the poet from his shop to their vehicle. According to one source, who was present at the shop, intelligence agents show no document or ID.
The poet was arrested in connection with a 25 �word Arabic poem after the poet and jubilant crowd, mainly youth, appeared in a video on 27 March 2015 expressing support for Saudi-led Operation Decisive Storm in Yemen. Iran or Iranians were not mentioned in the video whatsoever. It has been widely shared by Arabic media in the middle east as well as Facebook and twitter.
The poem�s translation says: �Greeting from beloved Ahwazi to king Salman, Who United the grandsons of Arabs in the Decisive Storm of Cousins. The fighter gets of glory appeared over the Houthis of Darkness�.
His wife and son were also arrested by security forces but were released. Security forces threatened to hurt the family.
His whereabouts still remain unknown.
Iran has previously assassinated and executed Ahwazi poets merely for their poetry and cultural activities.
In February 2014 Iran caused an international outcry when it executed the Ahwazi poet Hasem Shaabani and his fellow Al-Hiwar member and teacher Hadi Rashedi.
In November 2014 Iran detained and poisoned the Arab poet Sattar Sayahi (Abu Soror) to prevent him from involvement in a variety of Arab cultural activities.
By:Karim dahimi, Human rights activist
